Serving up success: Annie's journey from language learner to chef

As we celebrate our learners across Australia this Adult Learner’s Week, it’s equally important to highlight that, like any aspect of life, every learning journey looks different.

A breadth of factors can shape your education pathway. Moving to an unfamiliar city, pivoting to a new career, or facing self-doubt as an adult learner – these can all prove major barriers to learning.

But for Annie Craig, they were just three ingredients in the making of an award-winning chef.

When COVID-19 brought the hospitality industry to a standstill, Annie left her catering role at a Japanese ski resort to move to Australia.

The 44-year-old arrived in Brisbane with a Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism, 15 years of industry experience across Thailand and Japan, and uncertainty about her next steps.

Annie came to TAFE Queensland to improve her English through the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP). The free program, which is funded by the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs, supports eligible migrants and refugees as they settle into life in Australia.

“I didn’t really know anyone here,” Annie said.

“I joined AMEP because I wanted to improve my English and communication skills, and I also thought it would be a good opportunity to meet new people and make friends in a new country.”

The classroom did more than sharpen Annie's English: it also opened her eyes to what she might do next. While she had spent over a decade in the hospitality industry, Annie hadn’t yet taken the professional leap into her true passion: cooking.

“My mother cooked her whole life. The work was hard, and she didn’t want me to follow in her footsteps,” Annie explained.

“But cooking is my passion.”

Annie forged ahead with a Certificate III in Hospitality (SIT30622), and then a Certificate III in Commercial Cookery (SIT30821) through TAFE Queensland.

She gained valuable confidence working alongside industry professionals and serving real customers in the training restaurants at TAFE Queensland’s South Bank campus.

“We learn how to be a barista by making coffee in the Club Bar, front of house management and table service in the Bistro and fine dining and bar service in the restaurant 66 on Ernst – all for real customers,” she said.

Through apprenticeships at Restaurant Dan Arnold, Shortgrain and The Brisbane Club, she developed her technical skills and experience across a range of professional hospitality environments.

From there, Annie was well and truly in her element. She was TAFE Queensland's Apprentice Chef of the Year in 2025, a bronze medallist at the WorldSkills Brisbane Region competition, and the Harry Hauenschild Apprentice of the Year award at the 2026 Queensland Training Awards.

Now working at Clayfield College, where she prepares meals for boarding students, Annie believes her own experience can show others that age, background or previous career choices should never be barriers to learning something new.

“When I first arrived in Australia, everything was new to me. AMEP gave me somewhere to start, meet people and become more familiar with studying in Australia,” she said.

“My journey after AMEP wasn’t completely straightforward, but I think that is also part of learning. Sometimes you need to try something before you understand what is right for you.”

“Five years later, I’m a qualified chef, and I’m still learning and finding new directions for myself.”